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Former champions Australia came back from a 2-0 deficit to win the first quarter-final of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup against Spain, on Tuesday, 24 January. The Kookaburras held on to their 4-3 lead till the end of the match thanks to a missed penalty stroke by Marc Miralles in the last quarter. The save by Australian goalkeeper Andrew Charter proved decisive.
This exciting match began on a staid note as neither team managed to score in the first quarter. Australia, known for their attacking intensity, didn’t show it in the first half.
Spain, on the other hand, defended whole-heartedly as they crowded their circle whenever Australia made a move in. This didn’t allow the Australian team’s strikers to have any space within the circle and therefore, could not create any great chances.
Hockey World Cup Quarter-final: Spain surprise Australia by taking lead and doubling it
With the Kookaburras forced to commit greater numbers forward, big gaps opened up in their defense. This is what Spain capitalized on to gain a 2-0 lead. Xavier Gispert scored the first goal of this Hockey World Cup quarter-final in the 20th minute when he brilliantly took the ball into the circle, then turned left before unleashing a powerful reverse hit to beat Charter.
Australia did have PCs in the first half, as many as four, but couldn’t take advantage of it. Spain struck again, in the 24th minute, as the ball was delivered from the right-hand side of the field into the circle and picked up by Marc Recasens. He had ample space to take his shot and score for his team.
The 2-0 lead almost turned into a 3-0 one when a brilliant run from Pere Amat, followed by a dangerous cross couldn’t be deflected in by his teammate on the far post.
Australia ensured that they didn’t go into halftime empty-handed. In the very last minute of the first half, Flynn Ogilvie smashed the ball from near the top of the circle into the goal.
Hockey World Cup Quarter-final: Australia turn things around in third quarter
The third quarter of this Hockey World Cup QF saw Australia showing more purpose and playing with greater intensity. The results were visible soon. In the second minute of the third quarter, a brilliant run by Jake Whetton from the left-hand side along the baseline towards the goal led to a brilliant pass to Aran Zalewski at the far post and he had no difficulty into placing the ball into the netting.
The equalizer paved the way for Australia to take the lead. Jeremy Hayward scored two goals from penalty corners in the 33rd and 37th minutes to put his side on top. He was lucky with the first goal as the ball had deflected off the first runner significantly to beat the goalie.
It was 4-2 and Spain now needed to do all the running. To their credit, they kept troubling the Kookaburras and narrowed the deficit in the 41st minute with a PC of their own. Their captain Miralles did his job to convert the penalty corner into a goal and bring Spain back into the game.
However, he missed the crucial penalty stroke which came about thanks to another good move into the circle. After that, Australia tightened up their defense. In all, there were four penalty corners for Spain, but only one could be converted into a goal.
Australia have now booked their place in the semi-finals, something they haven’t failed at doing since the 1975 Hockey World Cup.
